Perennial of the Year 2017: Asclepias Tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)

Asclepias Tuberosa, also known as Butterfly Bush, has been named the Perennial of the Year by PerennialPlant.org. The Asclepias Tuberosa is one the premier plants in our initiative to save the butterflies. It’s native to the USA, and has golden yellow flower clusters that make it a great addition to any sunny landscape.

Here’s an excerpt from PerennialPlant.org:

“Commonly known as butterfly weed, this long-lived and striking perennial is native to the continental United States (except for the northeast) along with the Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec. With vibrant orange/red/yellow flowers that seem to jump out, butterfly weed is a great addition to a sunny garden with average to dry soils. As the common name suggests, these plants are butterfly magnets.

They also have a medicinal history as treatment for pleurisy, a common ailment in early colonial times, causing wheezing, coughing and great pain due to the inflammation of the pleura round the lungs. Asclepias tuberosa reportedly was so effective in treating this ailment it earned another common name, pleurisy root.”

The ‘Hello Yellow’ variant is one of our favorites. You can guarantee that butterflies will flock to the ‘Hello Yellow’, and bees will too. It’s incredibly durable as well. Deer have no interest in it. Salt and drought don’t effect it. Plus, it’s a perennial, so you’ll be able to enjoy it year after year!

Caring for the ‘Hello Yellow’ is extremely simple. Late in Spring, you may want to prune the plant back to reduce bloom height. This is entirely optional and depends on how tall you want your blooms to be. In the Winter, remove any dead foliage. That’s all there is to it. No fertilizer needed!

Posted in Perennials, Perennials of the Year, The Scoop

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